Be With You
by Ojosama
Summary: My angst bunnies were listening to sappy Latin songs.....sniff.


Be With You  
By Shinimegami  
  
*****Disclaimer********  
I don't own them....pity....I'd be filthy rich if I did, but I don't....So I pretend....but I still got no money....sniff.   
*********Enjoy ^.^********  
  
  
He stood alone, just as he always had been. Plauged by a lifetime of abandonment. He looked out to the fading sun and watched a solitary hawk soar in the days last thermals.   
Alone. Always alone.  
It was his curse to lose those who got too close to him. The curse of the God of Death, the great Shinigami who could not die but simply stand by and watch death take others. And now he had another name to add to the list. He carefully undid his waist length chesnut braid and let his hair blow around him in the wind. He held out the red buret, something she had always wore, and let it go.  
A single tear rolled down his cheeck but he stopped anymore. Boys don't cry. He sighed and chocked out a wispered,   
"Hirde Schbeiker."   
  
Duo Maxwell gathered up the money into his black cap and bowed to the crowd. "Give my regards to Goliath," he said jabbing a thumb in the direction the large man had run. And he left to the sound of laughter.  
He went back to his small apartment and tossed the hat onto the table. He flopped down onto the couch and turned on the TV.   
"-Peacecraft."   
Duo looked up to the TV and muted the sound. He didn't want to hear what was said. It didn't matter. In the clip the news people played, Relena Peacecraft laughed and nodded, her arm linked in Heero Yuy's.   
And Heero Yuy was smiling. Faint but there. The great Heero Yuy was smiling.   
Duo sighed and put his chin on his arms. He didn't know why, but he missed them. Both of them. He had been nothing more than a nusance to them, but still...  
The news was on some other story now so Duo changed the channel. The young heir to the Winner fortune smiled and accepted the young girl's hug. Quatre Raberba Winner, with a heart rivaled only by his bank account had been doing numerous charity things. This one included an orphanage and a circus. Cathrine and Tritan Bloom's circus, of course.  
Duo turned it to some cheesey sitcom and drastically lowered the volume. He just wanted a little noise. And he didn't have to go through the stations to find the chinese boy. Chang Wufei would not be on the news unless he had killed someone or blown something up. Best not to hear about him.  
Duo rolled onto his back and looked up at the ceiling. They all had something going for them. They all had something to keep them going. To keep them busy.  
What did this colony have to offer him? What had it ever offered him? Why stay?  
Where would he go? Earth?   
Duo winced. He hadn't been to Earth since...  
Duo forced himself not to think, just sleep.  
Just sleep.  
  
Duo stepped out of the shadows of the buildings and looked sadly at the small place they had shared for that short time.  
Why was he here? He should have stayed away.   
Should have made her hate me. If she starts to care...  
He didn't want to think about if.   
Should have stayed away.   
Stayed with Heero.  
Heero. Heero never truly cared and never would. Duo was just a thorn he couldn't pull. Heero was safe.  
Duo took a step back. Leave before she sees you. Shouldn't have come...  
Too late. The door opened and there she was, staring as if she didn't really beleive it was him standing there.  
He couldn't move. Didn't really want to. He was tired. Tired of running. Tired of fighting. Tired of war.  
She threw her arms around his neck and cried into his shoulder. "Oh, Duo."  
He smiled sadly and put his arms around her. He had never cried and he wouldn't now.  
"Hirde," he wispered.  
  
Duo sat up and hugged his knees. He should have stayed away. Stayed in space. Stayed any where, but he'd gone back. Even though he had known what would happen to her.  
His curse.  
The same thing that happened to Solo.  
And Father Maxwell.  
And. And. And.  
The list would go on forever.   
He froze. He felt the presence. A small hand touched his back.   
"Did I make you sad?" the three year old asked.  
Duo shook his head and pulled the boy close. "No, Trio. You didn't make me sad." Duo stroked his son's long dark hair and smiled. "Your mother would kill me if she knew I let you grow your hair this long. You ever going to let me cut it?"  
Trio shook his head. "Not 'less you do."  
Duo smiled. "Thats my Trio." He looked at the clock. 7 AM. "You hungry, Trio? I am."  
Trio nodded "Hungry!" He exclaimed.  
"Definatly my Trio," Duo sighed happily.  
They got dressed, Duo in trademark black, Trio with a bit more colour. Trio pushed Duo's braid aside and climbed on his back. Trio didn't have his hair as long as his father, just to his shoulders. Dark hair. Like his mother.   
Duo smiled at the waitress as they entered the small diner. "Hey, Ruth."   
"Hey, Duo. Good mornin', Trio."  
Trio waved and beamed. He loved eating out.   
Duo watched Trio shovel pancackes into his mouth and laughed. If only Heero could see this. Just like me, Duo thought.   
But, Heero didn't know Trio even existed. Neither did Wufei, or Trowa, or Quatre. Duo had cut them off hoping they'd forget him so they wouldn't suffer his curse.   
But suddenly he had an urge. He wanted to see them. Needed to see them.  
"You want to go on a vacation, Trio?"  
Trio looked up his cheecks stuffed full of pancakes. "Ah macaphun?"  
Duo grinned and nodded. "Yeah. We'll go see some of my old friends. Whata'ya say?"  
Trio nodded enthusiasticly.  
That settled it.  
  
Trio pressed his nose to the window of the shuttle. Duo watched him and sighed. Was this right?   
Should he go see them? Or was he just starting more problems?   
Well it was too late now. He'd called Quatre.   
Quatre had nearly had a heart attack. He told Duo they all thought he had died.   
No, I'm still alive. I can't die, you know.  
Where are you? What are you doing?  
I'm in L2, surviving. Look, I wanna come see you...that doesn't sound right.  
No, it sounds fine. We missed you, Duo. How's Hirde?  
...Hirde...is dead. She died...  
I'm sorry, Duo. ...When are you coming?  
When can I come?  
Now is fine.  
So now it was. Quatre had probably called Trowa and Heero and Relena and Wufei. He wondered what they were like now. If they had changed.  
If they hadn't.  
The shuttle landed and Trio, as hyperactive as Duo had ever been, bounced up and down impationtly. He climbed on Duo's back and picked up his bag. Duo grabbed his own stuff and followed the crowd off the shuttle. He was halfway down when he saw him.   
"Quatre."   
Quatre grinned. He looked just the same as always. "Duo!"  
Quatre ran over to him and the two ex-gundam pilots stood staring at each other, grinning like fools. Quatre took Duo's bag and looked at Trio. "Who's this?"   
"Trio. He's mine and...Hirde's son."  
Quatre smiled sadly. "Nice to meet you, Trio. I'm sorry about Hirde, Duo."  
"Don't be." It's my fault.  
Quatre led the way to the car. "Heero can't wait to see you. I'm not sure about Wufei. He keeps muttering about what a coward Maxwell is for running away. No honour at all."   
Duo looked at Quatre. "Heero...? He wants to see me?"  
Trio was in awe of the limo and climbed inside and began turning all the knobs and pushing all the buttons. Duo climbed in and pulled Trio back.  
Quatre nodded. "We all missed you Duo. Why did you dissapear?"  
Duo looked down. "I don't know. Lots of reasons I guess."  
"It doesn't matter now," Quatre told him. "Your here now."   
Trio escaped from Duo's hold and clambered into Quatre's lap to play with the buttons he couldn't reach other wise. "He's just like you."  
Duo flushed red.  
The limo stopped and the door opened. Quatre smiled. "Welcome to my home."  
Duo looked at Quatre and climbed out of the limo. Trio crawled out and stared at the big house in awe and reached up to take Duo's hand.   
"Now this is a house, Quatre my boy."   
Quatre laughed. Same old Duo.  
"Omae o korusu, Heero Yuy!" A voice called out from the garden.   
"Relena?" Duo asked. Quatre just smiled.   
A tall boy with tossled brown hair ran out of the garden followed by a small boy. Then came Relena. Soaked. It was then Duo noticed the squirt gun in the small boys hand. "Maxwell Yuy! What have I told you about listening to your father?"  
"Don't!" the boy chirped.  
"Maxwell, eh?" Duo called. "Good name, kid."  
Heero and Relena turned to Duo. Relena forgot her momentary anger and ran for Duo throwing her arms around him.   
"Finally, your true feelings for me come out," Duo piped.  
Relena stepped back and gave him a mock glare. It didn't work. Heero walked up and clapped Duo on the shoulder.  
And smiled.   
"I knew one of these days I'd make you smile, Heero!" Duo proclaimed.   
Heero laughed. "Well you got me to laugh in the same day!" Heero turned to introduce Maxwell, and found him showing Trio his squirt gun. Heero looked at Trio then back at Duo and raised an eyebrow.  
Duo smiled. "Trio. Sorry, man. I didn't call him Yuy or anything."  
"MAXWELL!!"  
Duo and Maxwell jumped and turned to see Wufei, arms folded glareing at them. Little Maxwell ran behind Relena.   
"Wu-man!" Duo exclaimed.   
Wufei smiled and smacked Duo on the back.  
"Where's Trowa?" Duo asked. "He's the only one left to make an entrance."  
"Not here," Quatre said. "They had to be in another town for a show. He said he'd call later if he could."  
Duo smiled. Maybe it would be okay to stay here for awhile.  
Maybe.  
  
Duo sprawled out on his back on the bench and smiled. It wasn't so bad coming here.   
Nice and peaceful.  
He sat up at a sound behind him. He stood up and walked towards the house and the sound.  
He stopped wide eyed. Quatre was standing there, blood dripped from multiple wounds.  
Duo's heart raced. "No... Quatre..."  
"Duo." Quatre came closer and Duo stepped back.   
"No. I..I didn't want..."  
Quatre reached out a hand and touched his shoulder. So cold.   
"NO!"  
Duo sat up in the bed breathing hard. "No...I...I can't stay. They can't..." Duo clenched his fists. He was wrong to come here. He would end up causeing their death.  
He got out of the bed and padded quietly down the hall. Maxwell and Trio were almost the same age and hit it off quickly. Duo stood in the doorway to the room the two boys were sharing and watched them sleeping.   
"He's just like you." Duo turned to Heero. "And I'm not sure how much i like that."  
Duo smiled. The two stood watching the boys.   
"He really cares about you."  
Duo nodded. His stomach growled and he clamped his hands over it. He looked up at Heero and smiled sheepishly.   
Heero laughed. "Your always hungry. Kitchen's at the end of the hall. Turn left."  
Duo looked at Heero. It was still kind of creepy to have Heero laughing. Duo forced a smile and headed towards the kitchen.   
When he got to the kitchen he sighed and leaned against the wall. This was all wrong. He started pulling things out for a sandwich. He picked up a loaf of bread and looked for something to cut it with. All these people cared about him. He was going to get them killed.   
Why did they have to care about him?  
He pulled a big knife out of the drawer and set it on the counter. Still needed mayonaise.  
"He really cares about you."  
Duo froze.   
Trio. He had never thought about it because he didn't want to admit it, but Trio cared. Duo looked out the window to the moon.  
"Trio..."  
His curse didn't make exceptions. Why should it now? He had always known, but he had buried it. He couldn't bear to live without Trio. He already had to live without Hirde.  
He pressed his hand to the glass. "What do I do? I don't want to hurt them..."  
"What do you want?" Hirde folded her arms and watched him warily. "Don't give me that creepy smile."  
Duo smirked at her then wraped his arms around her and pulled her close. "All I want is to be with you forever."  
Duo let his hand drop from the window. "I want to be with you," he wispered. "I want to be anywhere but here."  
Duo looked around the kitchen. He had to go, but where? He couldn't walk out and leave Trio. But he couldn't take Trio. He looked back to the stars. Where ever he went there might be someone who would care.   
Where could he go?  
There was somewhere.  
Duo looked down at the counter. There was somewhere he couldn't hurt anyone.  
Duo picked up the knife. "I will be with you forever, Hirde Schbeiker."  
He plunged the knife in, and for the first time in his 19 years of life, Duo Maxwell cried. 


End file.
